A selection of symptoms

[CandJ]

Our Buff Pekin (Patricia) formerly known on here for her Tourettes, is having a few problems. We're completely new to this and have a few books but this seems to be amongst the best places to get advice.

Symptom 1) She's getting picked on by the big'un - how long will this go on - we've had them 3 weeks.
Symptom 2) She doesn't like going to bed in her house at night (this could be linked with 1). For the rest of the day (usually) she roams the garden with the other Pekin, who always goes to bed first and clucks till the others come back.
Symptom 3) Tourettes continues - barking, hiccuping, clucking etc.
Symptom 4) She allowed me to pick her up today (1st time). I Can feel grain in her throat - don't know if this is normal or not.
Symptom 5) Wonky/floppy (but still bright red) thingy on top of her head - it is quite a big thingy though!
Symptom 6) Rather lethargic - particularly today. She stayed out till lunch then went to her house and stayed there, nestled in clean straw for rest of afternoon - I tried to put her out but she went straight back in - she then growled at me and fluffed herself up all big wen I went back to her.
Symptom 7) We don't think she's laying yet - the other 2 certainly are.

Any thoughts - I gues its part of chicken ownership but we're worried for the litle sweetie!

[yoanbob]

you worry a lot at first, its normal, especially if you have read the books, the things they tell you can go wrong, its enough to give you nightmares.
sounds to me like patricia just has too much food in her crop, it will normally resolve itself, not time to worry yet, wait till after they have worked out the pecking order and if she still suffering prehaps the vet, it takes a long time to sort out pecking order, it allways feels for us about 6 weeks, if she is paticullarly beligerant it could take longer, i would continue to massage the crop whenever you get chance and feed seperatly so she stops wolfing it down, also if she had mash where she came from and is on pellets and grain it could take her a while to realise its bigger, (not as bright as you think)
the puffing up at you behavior smacks of broodiness so prehaps she is laying, if shes pol her hormones will be all over the place anyway, like a teenager, only one that wants a baby. make sure she isnt sat on any eggs, she will eventually go in at night, just give her time, sounds like youve got a stubbon one on your hands but persevere.
the comb sound normal, they are a bit floppy if they are big, as long as its nice and red, then shes proberbly ok, we put vaseline with aloe vera on them in winter to keep them soft and stop chapping but she should be fine this time of year. if it was a hot day she could just be getting out of the sun by going indoors.
if her poo is ok and shes eating and drinking i really wouldnt worry at this point.
you reminded me of a story my dad told me, his grandad had a cockrel that would eat so much so fast it would almost choke, his g'dad would cut the crop open carefully with a knife every few weeks and empty it, my dad remarked about how clever his g'dad was, to which the reply was "I aint that clever or i'd a put a zip in this 'un"
dont think your at that stage yet.
persevere and it'll come right.

[Egluntine]

Has she got access to plenty of poultry grit, to help with the chopping up of food?...Does her crop feel empty in the morning? If it does, she is should be ok crop wise.

I'd put extra feeding and drinking stations out to help stop squabbles and to ensure that no one is going hungry. They say 3 of each because even the bossiest hen can't man 3 stations!